New High School white hat

[golfingref]

I have been R before, but never white gat for a crew. I will get that opportunity this fall. Either as an R or as a member of a crew, what qualities make your crew great? What do you do weekly, on and off season, to keep getting better? Any resources you use to keep things interesting? Thanks in advance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[zoom]

I have been R before, but never white gat for a crew. I will get that opportunity this fall. Either as an R or as a member of a crew, what qualities make your crew great? What do you do weekly, on and off season, to keep getting better? Any resources you use to keep things interesting? Thanks in advance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I recommend starting the year with a get together with the whole crew.  It's important, as a new crew white hat to let everyone know what your expectations will be.  In my case, I make it clear that we will work every game like a team.  I elicit suggestions from the crew about how to make the most of our pregame responsibilities from a week to week basis.  I want to know what the crew expects from me each week.  Some crews, for example, are happy to discuss quiz questions each week.  Some crews like to video conference.  Some crews like to get assigned topics to prepare for each week's game. 

In the worst case scenario, you will learn that your crew expects only to do the bare minimum and will have no interest in dicussion during the week or even meeting after the game each week at the local watering hole. 

Once the expectations for the crew are established, let them know what your personal goals for improvement are.  If any of them have worked with you before as a R, you may be able to brainstorm goals with crew members.  Then, encourage each of your crewmates to set goals for themselves.  Using these goals as points of emphasis, you can write them down and have something to work with during the year.

The hardest thing about being a crew chief is managing people who often have very different personalities, abilities, and attitudes.  Your position is not unlike a manager in a business.  Demonstrate leadership by example.  Be a good listener.  Facilitate discussion.  If you find that your crew is not interested in being led by you, it will be a long year.  The white hat position, whether you like it or not, is a leadership role, and the success of your crew will have a lot to do with your ability, as well as the crew's enthusiasm and desire to improve.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[Getting Fat]

Delegate. Let me say that again, delegate. It takes a lot of the burden off of you and creates buy-in. I was very pleasantly surprised when my crew mates started trying to do better than the next guy. Last year I sent an email to the crew, saying "here's the areas of responsibility that need to be done. You pick, first come first serve."

This is for a 7-man crew:

Home Team scouting report
Visiting Team scouting report
Travel arrangements
Post game meal
post game paperwork (foul report submission)
Coaches' and Officials' game cards (coaches' cards = cards with our names and positions. Officials' cards = cards we record fouls on)

First year I was a white hat I did all this myself. Do NOT do that.

Next, after we receive game film, I divide the number of plays by number of officials (e.g. 140 plays / 7 officials, HL = 1 through 20...). Everyone has to watch their assigned plays and markup and share at least 2 plays with the rest of the crew. Can be more. Show both good and needs improvement plays. This works great in Hudl.

If you start reviewing your game films like this during the week, you'll find that pregame can mostly be the scouting reports. In the above example there should've been in-depth weekly discussion about 14 plays. That's plenty.

Requirements for scouting reports:

Coaches' names
QBs' names and numbers
Centers' names and numbers

Options for scouting report:

tempo?
type of offense?
best players
previous results
(leave this open, you'll be surprised how great your guys/girls do)

I am in no way the best, nor do I claim that the above is the best approach. But I can tell you that it works.

caveat: When I invite somebody on my crew I am honest with them. "You will work harder than you have before, you will get better, and we're going to have a heck of a lot of fun."

[TampaSteve]

I suppose model your role after others you've been with.
That is, what didn't you like about the way someone did things and wht did you like about the way someone did things and go from there.

[ljudge]

Since a few told you what TO do, let me take a couple of lines to tell you what NOT to do.

First, congrats on this important assignment.  Your exec board wouldn't have asked you to work this position if they didn't think you have what it takes to lead a crew.  If you are "wired" like most officials you will probably be a bit of a perfectionist and will want to be a great crew.  Who doesn't want to be great?

1)  Don't be a dictator
2)  You will have a zillion things going through your mind during a game.  Slow down and and do YOUR job.
3)  From bullet #2, don't be a micro manager.  TRUST your guys / gals will do their part.
4)  If you use video (or on-field experiences) to assess your crew's performance make sure that if you want to bring up any critique (plays, mechanics, etc.) make sure you find things that YOU did incorrect and bring those  up as well. 
5)  From bullet #4, don't just bring up opportunities for improvement.  Make sure you bring up the good things!
6)  Worry about your crew!  (and encourage your crew to do the same).  I have attend pregames where the crew spends time bitching about other crews (and why they got a high-profile assignment) instead of preparing for their own game.
7)  Don't try to control the "uncontrollables."  CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL.

Good luck!!!!!

[FLAHL]

When I started as an official, my first WH had more than 30 years of experience and was a fantastic mentor. One thing though, because he had so much experience, I developed some bad penalty reporting habits. I'd simply say "I had a block in the back on 64" or "I got a late hit out of bounds on 25" and he took care of the administration.

When I got a crew, I realized that I needed much more info in order to make sure we dot penalty administration right. So I worked with my crew to report all fouls like this:
1 - live ball or dead ball
2 - loose ball play or running play
3 - foul
4 - number of player
5 - enforcement spot (end of the run, previous spot, etc)

This takes less than 10 seconds and gives all of us confidence that we're administering penalties correctly.

[golfingref]

Thanks for these great suggestions! I appreciate the knowledge sharing on this site.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[timhedge]

Congrats!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk